Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-10-19
TIE yAIa9Iy-TsN.
An Opium Den known Througnous
the Chinese Empire

7, ,s known throughout the length
md breadth of the empire 10 tho
Chinese. and it helps to make shanghai
regarded as a city affording the same
,pportunities for pleasure and dissipa-
Ion that Paris does the typical French
nan II is situated in the French con-
.ession in Shanghai, within stones
throw of the wall of the native city,
within which no opium shops are sup
,osed To exist. The character of the
place could not be guessed from its ex-
sernal appearance, although h the air OF
he peoDie passing in and out might
suggest il. The throngs visiting 1t rep
-eseut all stations of life, from the coOhe
n the wealthy merchant OF the small
mandarin. IL is with difficulty that
,ne gets inside through the crowds of
,eople hanging round the door. Those
Who have not the requisite number of
,opuer cash to procure the baneful pipe
watch with horrible wistfulneSs each OF
he more affluent pass in with nervous
hurried step, or totter out wearing that
PECULIAR tiaZed expression which comes
after the smokers craving has been
satisfied and his transient pleasure mas
passed away. One requires a strong
stomach to stand the sickenlng Tunes
with which the air inside IS thickened-
The clouds of smoke, the dim light
from the numerous cOlOred lamps, the
numbers of reclining forms with dis
torted faces bent over the small flames
AZ which the pipes are lighted, cause
The novice a sickening sensation But
A. soon as the eve becomes accustomed
TO the scene il is noticed that the place
Is got up on an expensive scale. In the
entire of the lower room hangs one OF
The finest Chinese lamps, the ceiling IS
Of richly carved wood, while the paint
ID walls are thickly inlaid with Pc
culiarIy marked marble, which gives
the idea of unfinished landscape
sketches.
Numerous doors on all sides lead TO
the smokers apartments In the outer
portion of the building stands counter
covered with little boxes of the drug
ready for smoking, which a dozen as
,istants are kept busy handing out TO
lie servants who wait upon the hdbdueS
II the place The average daily receipts
are said to be about 81 900. The smok-
ing apartments are divided INTO four
classes. In the cheapest are coolies,
who pay about fourpence for their
smoke. In the dearest the smoke costs
about sevenpence. The drug supplied
in each class is much the same, both in
quality and quantity; it is the difference
In the pipes that regulates the price
The best kinds are made of ivory, the
stem being often inlaid with stones and
rendered more costly by reason of elabOr-
ate carving; the cheapest kinds are
made simply of hard wood. The rooms
also are furnished according to class.
In the most expensive the lounge upon
which the smoker Teclines Is of fine
velvet, with pillows of the same ma
erial: the frames of each couch are IN
aid with mother-Of-pearl and jade, and
he whole air of these rooms Is one OF
ensuOus luxury. There is also a num- |
,er of private rooms In the poorer |
ections will be seen many wearers of |
he tattered yellow and gray robes of
Buddhist and Tavist priests Women |
orm a fair proportion of the smokers.
The common belief is that the opium |
leep is attended by a mild, pleasurable |
with brief glances of Elysium;
lut this is the exception, not the rule. |
People smoke to satisfy the craving be- |
,otten of previous indulgence. There |
5 accommodation for l5O smokers at a /
ime, and there is seldom vacancy |
cry long. The stream of smoke goes
N from early morning till midnight,
yhen the place closes; the clouds OF
moke go up necessarily all day long. /
Europeans do not often visit the place. |
,ut the seamen of American men-of-
var visiting Shanghai sometimes seek |
olace in the drug.